I've come here as a last resort as Novation and Sonar tech support have both proven to be.. non-existent and I figured that there had to be people here who knew what the heck I was talking about rather than part timers handling tech support issues that just point fingers at the other company or just shrug shoulders because they just don't know anything about the other company. Both their tech support is horrible with this issue and I think it's a fairly simple one and it's probably something that I'm doing wrong but they can't tell me what it is because they just... don't know.
I use Sonar 8 Pro as my DAW (I'm not upgrading as I lose too many of my stuff in doing so and I hate the new interface). I recently purchased a Novation Launchkey25. The thing works well. I can get the thing to learn to control any synth knob/slider that I want. However. When I try to record automation with the thing, using a VST and me controlling a VST knob with one of the launchkey's knobs, it doesn't record it even when I have the DAW set to record automation for all parameters. I CAN get it to record the automation if I play the Launchkey manually with the keys and I click on the VST with the mouse and move the knob with the mouse while playing, but that's the ONLY way I can get automation to record. It's like the knobs on the Launchkey, for some reason will control the synth's knobs fine but won't send the automation signals. Also, nothing I do in the ACT configuration is allowing for this thing to configure to work in the actual DAW at all (such as using the transport controls). Any suggestions? Neither Novation, nor the people who are in charge of Sonar have been any help. Documentation is kind of... crap for what I'm trying to do and tutorials online all end up being for specific software that I don't have (OH!!! It's EASY to configre!! Click this button and it AUTOCONFIGURES!!! Yeah.. that's a big help...). So I kind of need help from people who kind of... know what they're doing at this point. I've been through the manual... starter's guides.. tutorials... etc.. and I'm lost.
And now, for some reason, ACT learn isn't even working any more. I can't even get the Launchkey's knobs to control any VST knobs any more. It seems to have lost that ability even though I'm following the instructions of clicking the "ACT Learn" button on the corner of the VST, moving the control on the VST, moving the control on the Launchkey, and then clicking the "ACT learn" button again. Nothing is happening now. The thing IS transmitting midi signal because when I turn the knobs, I see the midi signal show up in the midi track. Getting a midi controller running isn't supposed to be this complex.
I could use some help from anyone who has knowledge about working with automation in Sonar 8.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 58 posts since 17 Mar, 2011
"What the hell is that godawful noise !?! Oh. It's just you."
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- KVRAF
- 6427 posts since 22 Jan, 2005 from Sweden
I have Sonar 8.5 Studio on the machine I write on now, but no external gear or midi or so. It's my former daw.
What you said - midi sent to control is usually omitted from recording part. That's the idea of Controllers/Surfaces dialog - what is there is not to be intermixed with midi data as such. MMC command and other stuff that is just to control daw.
But if a knob is turning through ACT that is automated - hard to see why that movement does not record?
But if you have back and forth it working with ACT - maybe something else is the problem.
Help "Assigning Faders and Knobs to Control SONAR Parameters" says
"Cakewalk Generic Surface property page has separate sections that control track parameters (the Track Parameters section), plug-in parameters (the ACT Controls section), and global parameters (the Global Parameters section)."
So have a read there maybe.
I have no solution for you though.
What you said - midi sent to control is usually omitted from recording part. That's the idea of Controllers/Surfaces dialog - what is there is not to be intermixed with midi data as such. MMC command and other stuff that is just to control daw.
But if a knob is turning through ACT that is automated - hard to see why that movement does not record?
But if you have back and forth it working with ACT - maybe something else is the problem.
Help "Assigning Faders and Knobs to Control SONAR Parameters" says
"Cakewalk Generic Surface property page has separate sections that control track parameters (the Track Parameters section), plug-in parameters (the ACT Controls section), and global parameters (the Global Parameters section)."
So have a read there maybe.
I have no solution for you though.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 58 posts since 17 Mar, 2011
All I can say is that the manual is NOT designed for people who don't understand the language of what they're talking about in it. It's not very well written and it's not illustrated so when they're talking about different properties and stuff, I'm looking for all kinds of stuff in the DAW and not finding anything remotely named what they're saying. They've given names to things that in the manual when I look stuff up for clarification, there is none and they're just assuming that I know what everything is, including menus and functions. I can't even find the "Global Parameters" section in the "Cakewalk Generic Surface Property Page" and I don't even know if that's the page that I'm properly on, but it's the only one that's available to me in the "Controller Surface Properties" area. But nothing says "Generic Surface Propery anything and nothing says "Global Parameters". This is what I mean. The section on ACT is a mess. I've always used my Korg MS2000 as a midi controller for VST's and had no issue with automation or for live playing them. But for some reason, using a standalone midi-controller has been a nightmare requiring me to pour over this complicated mess, trying to see where I went wrong and I just can't see what I'm doing wrong.
The only difference between this thing and the MS2000 is that the MS2000 is a synth and has a LOT more knobs that I can assign and ACT seemed to work wonderfully with that, and of course, I couldn't control the DAW with the synth.
I'm wondering if the buttons of the midi controller IE.. the transport controls that are supposed to control the play/record/rewind, etc.. even though they send midi data aren't compatable with Sonar. I can't get those assigned with the DAW at all and it seems that the only options for assigning anything on that front are the knobs and drum pads unless I'm doing another thing wrong. Documentation for all this stuff is either non-existant or awful.
I worked with the midi controller for 8 hours today trying to get a knob to transmit automation data. I can assign a knob to a VST's knob. I see the knob turning on the VST. I can play the VST live, turning the knob, filter sweeping while live playing. Recording, however, it doesn't record ANY automation data from that knob. I can play notes in with the keyboard no problem. I can send automation data if I filter sweep the knob on the VST with the mouse pointer. But I can't for the life of me figure out why it won't take automation data when I filter sweep when I turn the knob on the midi controller.
The full extent of my ACT use has always been with my MS2000. "Push the ACT button on the corner of the VST. Turn the knob on the vst that I want to assign. Turn the knob on the synth that I want to assign it to. End and repeat till everything was assigned." Then be able to send automation. This shouldn't be this difficult.
The only difference between this thing and the MS2000 is that the MS2000 is a synth and has a LOT more knobs that I can assign and ACT seemed to work wonderfully with that, and of course, I couldn't control the DAW with the synth.
I'm wondering if the buttons of the midi controller IE.. the transport controls that are supposed to control the play/record/rewind, etc.. even though they send midi data aren't compatable with Sonar. I can't get those assigned with the DAW at all and it seems that the only options for assigning anything on that front are the knobs and drum pads unless I'm doing another thing wrong. Documentation for all this stuff is either non-existant or awful.
I worked with the midi controller for 8 hours today trying to get a knob to transmit automation data. I can assign a knob to a VST's knob. I see the knob turning on the VST. I can play the VST live, turning the knob, filter sweeping while live playing. Recording, however, it doesn't record ANY automation data from that knob. I can play notes in with the keyboard no problem. I can send automation data if I filter sweep the knob on the VST with the mouse pointer. But I can't for the life of me figure out why it won't take automation data when I filter sweep when I turn the knob on the midi controller.
The full extent of my ACT use has always been with my MS2000. "Push the ACT button on the corner of the VST. Turn the knob on the vst that I want to assign. Turn the knob on the synth that I want to assign it to. End and repeat till everything was assigned." Then be able to send automation. This shouldn't be this difficult.
"What the hell is that godawful noise !?! Oh. It's just you."
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- KVRAF
- 6427 posts since 22 Jan, 2005 from Sweden
Not talking about manual.
Try help menu and help - that is where I looked and took text from.
That is where you have best cross search abilities.
Context help is rather good in Sonar, I think.
Right where you are - even try F1 function key.
One thing that Cubase totally lack, for one, is context help.
Try help menu and help - that is where I looked and took text from.
That is where you have best cross search abilities.
Context help is rather good in Sonar, I think.
Right where you are - even try F1 function key.
One thing that Cubase totally lack, for one, is context help.
